Parker must show bipartisanship on TPP

National’s Trade spokesperson Todd McClay has today written to Trade Minister David Parker requesting a full briefing on changes to the TPP agreement and an assurance that the full text and National Interest Analysis will be released in sufficient time for New Zealanders to assess the agreement prior to its signature.

“The Green Party has confirmed it will not support the amended agreement, meaning the Government does not have the votes necessary to progress the deal without National’s support,” Mr McClay says.

“Many of the Government’s claims over changes to the TPP seem exaggerated. For instance, the Pharmac model has always been protected, an identical Treaty of Waitangi clause is in the original TPP, the Government always had the right to regulate, and tariff reductions remain as National negotiated them.

“The revised TPP still contains an Investor State Dispute Settlement clause and, as previously negotiated by National in the original TPP, all Australian investments remain exempt from dispute settlement.

“Even with New Zealand First’s huge ISDS flip-flop, Mr Parker and his Government doesn’t have the votes to pass TPP without National so I expect him to show the same bipartisanship on trade that was developed over the last two years.

“For a new minister who doesn’t have a government majority on trade he’s not off to a very good start.”